Beet-harvester.



F. J. WESTON.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION man MAY 24. 1911.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

LVV ENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

F. .l. WESTON.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY24. m7.

Patented App 29,1919.

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F. J. WESTON.

BEET HARVESTER APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, I917.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEY NTED STAT FRANK J. WESTON, 0F CHEYENNE, WYOMING.

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BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. as, rare.

Application filed May 24, 1917. Serial 110,170,581.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK J. WEsTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cheyenne, in the county of Laramie and State of Wyoming, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to beet harvesters and it has for its object to produce an organized machine of, simple and improved construction by the use of which beets, at a single operation, may be extracted from the ground and have the leafy tops cut oil".

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of the beet digging or extracting means and the manner of mounting and adjustingthe same.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction and arrangement of the topping knife,

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same'consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter-fully described and. particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, 'it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view showing the adjustment of the beet cutting topping knives.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings'are denoted by like characters of reference.

The frame structure of the improved machine is composed of longitudinal side bars or sills 15 which are connected together and spaced apart by front and rear cross bars 15', 46 and 17. The frame is suppertcd on the front and rear' axles 18 and 19 having ground wheels 21 and 20, the rear axle 19 being fitted to revolve in suitable bearings so that it may be utilized for transmitting motion to moving parts of the machine. The frame is equipped with a clevis or coupling member 22 for the attachment thereto of draft animals or a tractor, and a seat 23 is conveniently disposed for the driver or operator. y

The sills or side members of the frame are provided each with a suitable bearing 24 for a shaft 25. Pivotally supported on the shaft 25 is a .frame' 26 which supports one end of the digger bars 27 and 28, and the bottom bearing 29 for rollers 30 and 30' which are fitted in the apertures 31' and 31 in the frame 26 and bearing 29. The rollers 30 and 30' are of a diameter somewhat exceeding the thickness of the respective digger bars; said rollers extend through bearing 29 and are provided with bevel pinions 32 meshing with bevel gears 33 on the shaft 25 whereby rotary motion may be imparted to the shafts carrying the rollers 30 and 30. The shaft 25 is driven by a gear 34, engaging gear 34 mounted upon shaft 25, from the rear axle of the machine.

By the construction described it will be seen that the diggers 27 and 28 are free to move in an approximately. vertical plane. Each digger is provided. at its forward end with earth engaging points 35 of approxi mately triangular shape, and each digger carries near its forward end rollers 36. Conveyer belts 37 are trained over the rollers near the front and others not shown near the rear ends of the respective digger bars. The belts lie obliquely with the divergent blades, and are brought to a vertical position at the rollers 30 and 30.

To provide for the adjustment of the diggers 27 and 28 vertically, a lever 48 is secured to a rock-shaft 48 journaled in bearings 39 on the frame 15 and having a lever 41 connected to a link 38 attached at 40 to a bail 47.

By this simple mechanism the forward ends of the digger bars may be variously raised and lowered by the operation of a lever 50 which is connected to the lever 48 by bar 49, for convenience in engaging the rows of beets that are to be operated upon in the most efli-cient manner. The lever 50 may be locked to a rack 46. The tops will be permitted to drop the gf-Qtifltl while the beets will be carried rearwardly and deposited in a box or receptacle 60 having an lnchned bottom member 61 and a lunged gate (32,

the latter being capable of being opened or I closed by means includnig a hand lever 63' and a. rod 64: connecting said lever witlran' arm 65 that extends forwardly with respect to the end gate. The lever 63 may be pro-,

will be seen, that by thehand lever the digger bars may be raisedfrom or lowered to a groundengaging position adjustments being made to permit the diggers to enter the ground to the requisite distance to engage and extract the beets. The latter will be carried by the com'eyer belts 37 upwardly and rearwardly between the digger bars and Will be presented to the topping mechanism whereby the leafy tops are removed, the beets being discharged in the receptacle 60 from which they may be subsequently dumped in piles on the ground to be afterward gathered and stored.

A shaft 51 driven by a sprocket mechanism 53extends across and above the digger bars 27 2-8 andis journaled at 59 in side arms 57 pivoted;.-at their rear ends on the frame 15. (Fig. 3). Mounted on shaft 51 is a drum 53 having blades 54 tangential to a circle about the drum center. The shaft is vertically movable in guides 58 having slots 55,so as to hold the cutters just above the Copies oLthi'mpatent may bev obtained for bodies of beets passing up the conveyer, by

ported, a transverse bearing in the frame and above the. shaft, rollers journaled in the frame'and driven by vsaid shaft-,rollers '0111 the digger bars, and endless belts rove around the said rollers for conveying the beets up the diggers and through the frame.

2. In a beet harvester, a pair of digger bars, a frame to Whichthe upper and rear ends of said bars areattached, a shaft on which theframe is pivotally supported, a transversebearing in the frame and above the shaft, 'parallel upright rollers journaled in the frame and driven by said shaft, rollers on the digger bars, and endless belts rove around the said rollers for conveying the beets up the diggers and through the frame.

3. In a beet harvester, a. pairv of digger bars, a frame vto which the upper. and rear ends of said bars are rigidly attached, a shaft on which the frameis pivo-tally supported, a transverse (bearing in the frame and above the shaft, rollers journaled in the frame anddriven by said shaft, rollers 011 the digger bars, and endless belts rove around thesaid rollers for conveying the beets up the diggers and through-the frame, means for vertically adjusting the bars together, and scraping blade-s pivoted at their upper ends 011 the vehicle-structure and bearing at their lower ends on the leading ends of the digger-bars. I a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK J. WEsToN. 

